People try to put us down……..

Just because we ge’ge’ge’t around……

BOOM, 1946 to 1964… Wiki relates “Baby Boomers are associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values.” Damn straight. While I know it REALLY sucked that in our little town, early on black kids had to sit in the balcony at the theater, couldn’t sit at the counter at the Drug Store, had to live ‘here’, couldn’t move ‘there’.. – we kids didn’t know any difference in coexisting with one another. (Thankfully, those wrongs were MOSTLY righted, and our generation held great responsibility in getting them righted. No, we still ain’t perfect, but our mutual goal is to carry on MLK’s idea of love.) We share a dream.

Music. Was at the Royal’s game the other night, musta been 25 or so Millennials, fitteen of ‘em or so in the back of a pickup like we usedta do.. and blaring from speakers, was basically the Top 40 from WHB in the 60's, 70's... They were boppin’, jivin’, bouncin’, feelin’, happy. Walked by, told ‘em “we LOVE that you like old people’s music!”…… WHO DOESN’T? From Aretha to ZZ, Boomer music will live on long after we’re in the grave, urn, heaven or hell.

We didn’t have, need Grand Theft Auto, we had 3D slot cars, Matchbox cars and dirt.

We learned from Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans, Howdy Doody, Rocky & Bullwinkle, M I C, K E Y, M O U S E, + Timmy and Lassie, Kukla/Fran.. right from wrong with Goofus, Gallant, Wally/Eddie…

We too had holes in our jeans, but they were most likely handed down from big brother/big sister, with a patch ironed on over the knees.

We were in motion. God love all the teachings that can be done today whilst staring into a 3” by 6” phone screen – but dad gummit we moved. We did the twist in the Dodgeball circle (of course, got reprimanded, hence the redefinition of traditionaly values label.).. We climbed monkey bars, trees, telephone poles, roofs.. we jumped the brook. We sent Jimmy right over, Red Rover. We chased lightning bugs.. We kicked the can. We threw big curves with the whiffle ball, and perfected placement hitting with Indian ball. We were, Christmas Story.

We didn’t need 21 gears on our bike, we (back then) could peddle a Schwinn up the hill with the best of ‘em. We didn’t swerve around on Minecraft, Mario Kart, or dodge Angry Birds. We forged creeks, hills, stone walls, vines… barefooted.

Call us whatever you want, generation Jones, alpha boomers, hippies, yippies, yuppies, zoomers, cuspers.. just don’t call us too late to the dinner table, or don’t tell us “you can’t do that.”

We (well, I speak for group, not necessarily personally!) thrived economically. Marketing happened. The age wave theory suggests economic slowdown as we step away from the business world. In addition to passing inheritance on to children, many boomers give to charities as well.

We weren’t entitled, we collected pop bottles, turned ‘em in, bought baseball cards and wax bottles (Nik-L-Nips).. as we aged, if there was something we couldn’t afford, we simply didn’t jump, charge it. If there was something we really wanted, instead of a plea via a phone call, an email or a text, we got a damn 2nd job.

We were responsible for McDonalds to stop counting how many damn hamburgers they’d sold.

We changed our clothing. Drab was out, bright, vibrant was in. Pants/jeans got big at the bottom, hair got long on the top.

We idolized good people. We helped our younger siblings, adored our grandparents. Thankfully, due to loving parents, they guided us through this “Why not?” era.

We, most of BB’s anyways (again, perhaps not personally included but I HAVE been going to the gym!) are living longer due to better habits, better eating, better medicine, yada – thus, we’re straining Medicare.

We had, and were, role models. There are 74.9 million of us, only recently surpassed by the 75.4 million Millennials.

We will ultimately, assuredly, die out. Our impact will last forever however.

We learned the moniker of our predecessor Buck O’Neil, “I was right on time.”

As the lone survivor of my nuclear family, I quite frequently say “I couldn’t have hand picked a better family to grow up. (they just all left too soon).. ”… Same thing about our era, and many we’ve unfortunately lost. We live on, press on, question on, party on – for them. Yes, and maybe a little bit for ourselves. Boom.

Love, Victurd